Softball Eliminates Mitchell, Splits Championship Doubleheader With Lesley

Box Scores 

BOSTON, Mass. – The second-seeded Elms College softball team downed No. 3 Mitchell College, 4-1 to advance to the championship round of the double-elimination 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament against top-seeded Lesley University. The Blazers posted a 9-0 five-inning victory over the Lynx in game one and forced the deciding contest with Lesley which the Lynx won, 4-3 in the eighth inning.

Elms concludes its 2010 campaign with an overall record of 20-17, while Lesley completes its second-straight NECC championship season, 25-11.

Game One – Elms 4, Mitchell 1

Elms broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third when senior catcher Tiffany Williams (Berlin, Conn.) drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on a single by senior right fielder Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, Mass.) and then moved to third when sophomore shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) reached on an error to load the bases. Senior second baseman Ally Graffum (Ipswich, Mass.) then drove in a run when she earned a free pass setting up freshman first baseman Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) who drove in two runs with a single and then advanced to third on a two-base error giving the Blazers a 4-0 lead.

Sophomore hurler Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) was sensational in the circle taking a two-hit shutout into the top of the fifth. Mitchell plated a run in the frame thanks to three hits in the inning, pulling the Mariners to within three at 4-1.

Hampton kept Mitchell off balance the rest of the game, tossing four of her 12 strikeouts for the game in the final two innings to seal the victory for Elms and eliminate Mitchell from tournament action. 

Hampton improved to 13-6 overall in the win, while Mariners' Kristina Torres (Groton, Conn.), who limited the Blazers to just two hits, suffered the loss and finished her season 11-9 on the mound.

Game Two – Elms 9, Lesley 0 (5 innings)

Hampton continued her stellar performance in the circle in Elms' matchup against Lesley in the championship. Hampton held the Lynx' potent offense scoreless with just three hits and did not allow a walk to help pace the Blazers to a 9-0 win. Hampton improved to 14-6 overall, while Lesley pitcher Cassandra Knox (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) dropped to 21-8 on the season.

Elms scored three times in the top of the first and top of the fifth to highlight the nine-run outburst.

An RBI single by Buckley, and a two-run triple by freshman third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) to left center sparked the three-run first frame.

Elms extended its lead to 5-0 in the top of the second when Williams drove in junior designated player Destinee Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) with a triple and then came full circle on a one-out single by Lipscomb.

Lipscomb crossed the dish in the top of the fourth when she was hit by a pitch, raced to second on a passed ball, and then scored when Graffum reached on an error, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Meeker delivered an RBI single and Lipscomb drove in a run on a fielder's choice to up the Blazers' lead to 9-0 in the top of the fifth.

Lipscomb and sophomore left fielder Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston, R.I.) each notched two hits in the winning effort.

Game Three – Lesley 4, Elms 3 (8 innings)

Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fourth, Buckley smacked a leadoff single up the middle and then scored on a three-bagger off the bat of DiRaimo, cutting Elms' deficit to 3-1.

The Blazers pulled to within one at 3-2 an inning later when Lastowski singled up the middle and then galloped home on a double by Lipscomb.

Elms completed its comeback in the top of the seventh when senior pinch-runner Danielle Gero (Holyoke, Mass.), who entered for Meeker at first following a leadoff base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on double down the right field line by Lastowski.

Hampton retired Lesley in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the eighth Jessica Guevara (Nantucket, Mass.) was placed on second and then advanced to third on a bunt single by Jodi Fralick (Woburn, Mass.). From there, Alyson Durben (Stow, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in the game-winning run and give Lesley its second NECC championship in as many years.

Hampton suffered the loss and concluded her season 14- 7 overall, while Knox earned the victory and finished 22-8 on the season.

Lastowski finished with two of Elms' six hits in the game, while Fralick, Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) and Rian Powers (Portland, Maine) each drilled two hits each to pace the Lynx in the winning effort.

Lesley used a three-run third inning to stake a 3-0 lead in the contest before Elms battled back over the next four innings to even things at 3-3.

NECC Championship All-Tournament Team

Most Valuable Player – Cassandra Knox, So., P, Lesley University
Jodi Fralick, Sr. C, Lesley University
Alyson Durben, Jr., OF, Lesley University
Courtney Hampton, So., P, Elms College
Ally Graffum, Sr., 2B, Elms College
Sarah Buckely, Fr., 1B, Elms College
Nikki Hoxie, So., 2B, Mitchell College
Kristina Torres, So., P, Mitchell College
Sarah Gates, Sr., OF, Bay Path College
Jessica Nizinski, Sr., P, Bay Path College